NOAA GRANTS ALMOST $1 MILLION TO ENCOURAGE GEORGIA STUDENTS
TO STUDY AQUACULTURE, RESTORATION

Two
Georgia institutions received almost $1 million to encourage students
to study the business of aquaculture systems and restoration. The
grants were awarded as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s effort to develop and enhance educational opportunities
at minority-serving institutions.

Clark
Atlanta University in Atlanta received $499,995 and Savannah State
University in Savannah received $492,978. Also receiving grants are
the City College of New York, the Northwest Indian College in Bellingham,
Wash., and Oxnard College in Oxnard, Calif.

“These
grants will help students pursue careers, advanced degrees, or environmental
entrepreneurship opportunities in the sciences directly related to
NOAA's mission,” said Jacqueline Rousseau, director of NOAA’s
Educational Partnership Program.

The
EPP program, in its fourth year, provides funding to cooperative science
centers, and undergraduate scholarship and graduate sciences programs
to support educational and research opportunities. A new “high
school pipeline” project was added this year. Five institutions
received about $500,000 each to encourage high school students to
study sciences that relate to NOAA’s mission.

“This
educational initiative is a special partnership between NOAA, several
academic institutions and the public-private sector aimed at preparing
the next generation of students to pursue careers, advanced academic
studies, and new opportunities in the NOAA sciences,” said retired
Navy Vice Admiral Conrad
C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans
and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

The
recipients are:

High
School Science Pipeline Projects

Florida A
& M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida- $500,000
FAMU will use applied research, training, and demonstration projects
to increase the knowledge and interests of high school students
in the atmospheric, climate, coastal, ocean and environmental sciences.

Jackson State
University (JSU) in Jackson, Mississippi - $499,999
JSU will introduce high school students to marine, environmental
sciences and meteorology through a combination of classroom studies
and exercises, field trips and hands-on applied field research in
collaboration with NOAA and partners.

Miami Dade
College (MDC) in Miami, Florida - $499,785
Miami Dade College will work with NOAA and other partners to provide
hands-on training, field-based learning, and educational opportunities
to 120 high school students.

Universidad
del Turabo (UDT) in Puerto Rico - $496,189
UDT and NOAA Sea Grant will provide opportunities for high school
students in GIS, environmental science and research and entrepreneurship
in the east central region of Puerto Rico.

The University
of Alaska (UAF) in Fairbanks, Alaska - $494,591
The University of Alaska-Fairbanks will provide high school students
(in grades 9 – 12) a three-year education and training pipeline
project. Methods include: developing 5 courses each year, 10 high
school dual-credit classes, a work-study program with public-private
entities, and mentoring.

Environmental Demonstration Projects

Clark Atlanta
University (CAU) in Atlanta, Georgia - $499,995
Clark Atlanta University’s program will focus on the business
of aquaculture systems. Students will gain experience in coastal
environmental restoration, management and pollution prevention,
and develop additional technical and entrepreneurial skills. Summer
internships and visits to the NOAA Galveston lab are part of the
program.

The City College
of New York (CUNY) - $499,314
CUNY will partner with NOAA’s Cooperative Remote Sensing Science
and Technology Center (CREST) to introduce students to applied research
applications and the mechanics of constructing business model ideas
in oceans, satellites, fisheries, or research.

Northwest
Indian College (NIC) in Bellingham, Washington - $496,058
Northwest Indian College will partner with NOAA’s Northwest
Fisheries Science Center to train students in entrepreneurial and
technical skills designed to create shellfish aquaculture business
opportunities.

Oxnard College
in California - $500,000
Oxnard College and NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary (and other organizations) will conduct a training program
that will instruct students on the commercialization and restoration
of white abalone hatchery operations.

Savannah State
University (SSU) in Georgia - $492,978
Savannah State University and NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Galveston
Lab will offer hands-on experiences for undergraduates and graduate
Marine Science and Engineering majors in GIS-based restoration and
the beneficial use of dredge material site monitoring.

The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S.
Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and
national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related
events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s
coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation
System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners
and nearly 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that
is as integrated as the planet it observes.